Lake Forest Park, WA
Census place 5337270 · pop 13,335
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$953,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,535/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-0.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.87% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
80.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
4.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
66.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$159,904 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
22.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
12.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Not measured for Lake Forest Park: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Lake Forest Park, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lake Forest Park scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is physical inactivity and its weakest is housing cost. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Lake Forest Park, WA expensive to live in?
- Lake Forest Park has a median home value of $953,200 and typical rent around $2,535/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lake Forest Park, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($953,200) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Lake Forest Park, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (12.3%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.